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Pioneer Previews for Aug. 24: Benson closes out State Park concert series

BEMIDJI -- Local musician and songwriter Lance Benson will be the final artist to perform for the 2013 Lake Bemidji State Park Concert Series. Benson's original songs are steeped in his dreams and a life lived well, whether on the road or his hometown. Benson will welcome his "guests" at 2 p.m. today at the amphitheater in Lake Bemidji State Park rain or shine because the visitor's center is next to the outdoor venue. Admission is free but a one day pass for $5 is required if you don't have an annual park pass. These concerts are made possible in part by a grant from Region 2 Arts Council and a collaborative effort of LBSP and the Headwaters School of Music and the Arts.

• Two different local theater companies are holding auditions this week for their upcoming productions. The Women's Theater Collective with Cate Belleveau as director will be auditioning for their November production of "Evita" by Weber and Rice. Bemidji Community Theater in collaboration with the Paul Bunyan Playhouse will be audition for their December production "The King and I" by Rogers and Hammerstein with director Mary Knox Johnson. The details are below under daily listings.

Tuesday

• Cate Belleveau, director of the musical "Evita" by Weber and Rice will be holding auditions for singers and dancers from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor courtyard between Hagg Sauer and Bridgeman Hall on the campus of Bemidji State University. Those auditioning should have memorized a two-minute monologue/poem, be prepared to sing a song a capella or accompanied by a CD player and have a 8-by-10-inch black and white headshot. Contact Belleveau at 243-2685 or kayakc2@me.com for audition slot. Performance dates are Nov. 14-18, 21-23.

Wednesday

• The Bemidji Area Church Musicians Summer Recital Series will conclude with a concert at noon at First Lutheran Church, 9th Street and Bemidji Avenue. Sarah Carlson (organ) will be joined by Melanie Hanson (violin), Michael Hanson (saxophone) and Jon Romer ( Native American flute) and perform a concert of secular, classical and sacred music. The free will offerings have been very generous this summer and the BACM are pleased to announce that they will award three $750 scholarships this year to freshman or sophomore college students enrolled in a college music program. A luncheon will follow the concert in the church hall for a nominal fee.

• Auditions for "The King and I" by Rogers and Hammerstein will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the historic Chief Theater, 314 Beltrami Ave. NW in downtown Bemidji. Those auditioning should bring 15 bars of music and a short monologue. All ages -- starting at 8-years-old -- are needed. Contact director Mary Knox Johnson at 333-8740 or moxnk@paulbunyan.net for further information. Performance dates are Dec. 6-8 and 13-15 at the Chief Theater.

Thursday

• Cate Belleveau, director of the musical "Evita" by Weber and Rice will be holding auditions for singers and dancers from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor courtyard between Hagg Sauer and Bridgeman Hall on the campus of Bemidji State University. Those auditioning should have memorized a two-minute monologue/poem, be prepared to sing a song a capella or accompanied by a CD player and have a 8-by-10-inch black and white headshot. Contact Belleveau at 243-2685 or kayakc2@me.com for audition slot. Performance dates are Nov. 14-18, 21-23.

• Auditions for "The King and I" by Rogers and Hammerstein will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the historic Chief Theater, 314 Beltrami Ave. NW in downtown Bemidji. Those auditioning should bring 15 bars of music and a short monologue. All ages -- starting at 8-years-old -- are needed. Contact director Mary Knox Johnson at 333-8740 or moxnk@paulbunyan.net for further information. Performance dates are Dec. 6-8 and 13-15 at the Chief Theater

• Opening Reception for the Bemidji State University Department of Technology Art and Design faculty will be held from noon to 3 p.m. in Room 212, Bensen Hall, Birchmont Drive North on campus. The reception is open to the public at no charge and the installation will remain in place until Sept. 20.

• Headwaters Quilt Show "Quilt in a Day" Trunk Show with Patricia Knoechel will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bethel Lutheran Church, 5232 Irvine Ave. NE. Open to the public with $5 admission payable at the door.

Seeking vendors

The 4th Annual Opener Art Festival, a visual arts show/sale open to artists in all areas of visual art, is seeking artists for event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the Sanford Center ballrooms, 1111 Event Center Drive SE. All artwork will be juried with the inclusion of four to six photos of proposed art work along with the application. Cost to participate is $85 for a 10 feet by 10 feet booth plus a $15 processing fee with the deadline date of Sept. 15. There will be 50-plus vendor spaces available: electricity, tables and chairs are included in the fee. Set-up time will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 8. Send applications to Shannon's Art & Soul, 313 Beltrami Ave. Bemidji, MN 56601. Applications may also be dropped off at the address. Call (218) 444-7555 for more information.

Voice of the Prairie

Long Lake Theater is soliciting people who would like to participate in its inaugural season of old-time variety shows with radio plays, comedy bits, ads, jingles, music and more. The show will be rooted in Hubbard County, where a musical and artistic community provides endless inspiration for the show, which will appear live on stage at Long Lake Theater on the third Friday of each month starting in September. Contact Bruce Bolton at longlaketheater.com for more information.

Grove Kings to play

The Grove Kings band will be appearing from 6 to 10 p.m., Sept. 6 at the Cass Lake American Legion, Main St. Cass Lake. A walleye dinner follows from 5 to 7 p.m.